Ultrasound imaging apparatus and method of generating ultrasound image

Abstract

Provided are an ultrasound imaging apparatus and a method of generating an ultrasound image. The method includes: transmitting ultrasound signals to an object; receiving ultrasound echo signals from the object; generating ultrasound image data based on the received ultrasound echo signals; identifying a fetus's skull from the ultrasound image data; identifying, based on the identified fetus's skull, a caput succedaneum region corresponding to caput succedaneum occurring in the fetus; and displaying information about the caput succedaneum region.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of generating an ultrasound image, performed by an ultrasound imaging apparatus, the method comprising:
 transmitting ultrasound signals to an object; 
 receiving ultrasound echo signals from the object; 
 generating a plurality of ultrasound cross-sectional images each including a fetus based on the received ultrasound echo signals; 
 identifying the fetus's skull from each of the plurality of ultrasound cross-sectional images; 
 selecting an ultrasound cross-sectional image showing the fetus's skull as being largest from among the plurality of ultrasound cross-sectional images; 
 identifying a caput succedaneum region corresponding to caput succedaneum occurring in the fetus from the selected ultrasound cross-sectional image; and 
 displaying information about the caput succedaneum region. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the caput succedaneum region comprises a pixel with a lower brightness value than its neighboring pixels from among a plurality of pixels located along a direction of a normal line to the identified fetus's skull. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the identifying of the caput succedaneum region comprises:
 identifying a scalp of the fetus, the fetus's scalp being located in the vicinity of the identified fetus's skull; and 
 identifying a region between the fetus's skull and the fetus's scalp as the caput succedaneum region. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising
 measuring a thickness of the caput succedaneum region based on a normal line that is a longest one among normal lines to the fetus's skull that pass through the caput succedaneum region, 
 wherein the displaying of the information about the caput succedaneum region comprises displaying the measured thickness of the caput succedaneum region. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the identifying of the caput succedaneum region comprises identifying a shaded region including at least a portion of the caput succedaneum region, and
 wherein the displaying of the information about the caput succedaneum region comprises displaying information about a portion of the caput succedaneum region excluding the shaded region. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the identifying of the caput succedaneum region comprises estimating the at least a portion of the caput succedaneum region included in the shaded region, and
 wherein the displaying of the information about the caput succedaneum region comprises displaying information about the estimated at least a portion of the caput succedaneum region. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving a user input of adjusting the caput succedaneum region; 
 re-identifying the caput succedaneum region based on the user input; and 
 displaying information about the re-identified caput succedaneum region. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 measuring a thickness of the caput succedaneum region; 
 obtaining a risk of labor in a pregnant woman by comparing the measured thickness of the caput succedaneum region with a preset threshold; and 
 displaying information about the risk of labor. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the displaying of the information about the risk of labor comprises:
 color-coding the caput succedaneum region with a color corresponding to a result of comparing the thickness of the caput succedaneum region with the threshold; and 
 displaying the color-coded caput succedaneum region. 
 
     
     
       10. An ultrasound imaging apparatus comprising:
 an ultrasound probe configured to transmit ultrasound signals to an object and receive ultrasound echo signals from the object; 
 a processor configured to generate a plurality of ultrasound cross-sectional images each including a fetus based on the received ultrasound echo signals, identify the fetus's skull from each of the plurality of ultrasound cross-sectional images, select an ultrasound cross-sectional image showing the fetus's skull as being largest from among the plurality of ultrasound cross-sectional images, and identify a caput succedaneum region corresponding to caput succedaneum occurring in the fetus from the selected ultrasound cross-sectional image; and 
 a display displaying information about the caput succedaneum region. 
 
     
     
       11. The ultrasound imaging apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the caput succedaneum region comprises a pixel with a lower brightness value than its neighboring pixels from among a plurality of pixels located along a direction of a normal line to the identified fetus's skull. 
     
     
       12. The ultrasound imaging apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 identify a scalp of the fetus, the fetus's scalp being located in the vicinity of the identified fetus's skull; and 
 identify a region between the fetus's skull and the fetus's scalp as the caput succedaneum region. 
 
     
     
       13. The ultrasound imaging apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to
 measure a thickness of the caput succedaneum region based on a normal line that is a longest one among normal lines to the fetus's skull that pass through the caput succedaneum region, and 
 wherein the display further displays the measured thickness of the caput succedaneum region. 
 
     
     
       14. The ultrasound imaging apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 measure areas of caput succedaneum regions respectively included in the plurality of ultrasound cross-sectional images; and 
 calculate a volume of the caput succedaneum region by stacking the measured areas of the caput succedaneum regions, and 
 wherein the display further displays the measured volume of the caput succedaneum region. 
 
     
     
       15. The ultrasound imaging apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to identify a shaded region including at least a portion of the caput succedaneum region, and
 wherein the display further displays information about a portion of the caput succedaneum region excluding the shaded region. 
 
     
     
       16. The ultrasound imaging apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the processor is further configured to estimate the at least a portion of the caput succedaneum region included in the shaded region, and
 wherein the display further displays information about the estimated at least a portion of the caput succedaneum region. 
 
     
     
       17. The ultrasound imaging apparatus of  claim 10 , further comprising a user input interface configured to receive a user input of adjusting the caput succedaneum region,
 wherein the processor is further configured to re-identify the caput succedaneum region based on the user input, and 
 wherein the display further displays information about the re-identified caput succedaneum region. 
 
     
     
       18. The ultrasound imaging apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 measure a thickness of the caput succedaneum region; and 
 obtain a risk of labor in a pregnant woman by comparing the measured thickness of the caput succedaneum region with a preset threshold, 
 wherein the display further displays information about the risk of labor. 
 
     
     
       19. The ultrasound imaging apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the processor is further configured to color-code the caput succedaneum region with a color corresponding to a result of comparing the thickness of the caput succedaneum region with the threshold, and
 wherein the display further displays the color-coded caput succedaneum region. 
 
     
     
       20. A method of generating an ultrasound image, performed by an ultrasound imaging apparatus, the method comprising:
 transmitting ultrasound signals to an object; 
 receiving ultrasound echo signals from the object; 
 generating a plurality of ultrasound cross-sectional images each including a fetus based on the received ultrasound echo signals; 
 identifying the fetus's skull from each of the plurality of ultrasound cross-sectional images; 
 measuring areas of caput succedaneum regions respectively included in the plurality of ultrasound cross-sectional images; 
 calculating a volume of the caput succedaneum region by stacking the measured areas of the caput succedaneum regions; and 
 displaying information about the caput succedaneum region, 
 wherein the displaying of the information about the caput succedaneum region comprises displaying the measured volume of the caput succedaneum region.